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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. face — to point toward
  6. chest — of your body
  7. key — the most important part
  8. root — of a word
  9. foot — a measure
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rock — music
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. chest — a box
  22. key — for a lock
  23. face — to confront
  24. bark — a dog's sound

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com